1. Field
The exemplary embodiment relate to a liquid crystal display (“LCD”).
2. Description of the Related Art
Liquid crystal displays (“LCDs”) are one of the most widely used types of flat panel displays. Generally, an LCD generally includes a pair of display panels having electric field generating electrodes, such as pixel electrodes and a common electrode, and a liquid crystal layer interposed between the display panels. In an LCD, voltages are applied to electric field generating electrodes to generate an electric field in a liquid crystal layer. Accordingly, the alignment of liquid crystal molecules of the liquid crystal layer is determined, and polarization of incident light is controlled. As a result, a desired image is displayed on the LCD.
Among various types of LCDs, vertically aligned (“VA”) mode LCDs, in which long axes of liquid crystal molecules are aligned perpendicular to upper and lower display panels when no electric field is applied, are popular due to their high contrast ratios and wide standard viewing angles.
To make VA mode LCDs have wide viewing angles, a plurality of domains having different alignment directions of liquid crystals may be provided in one pixel.
One exemplary method of defining a plurality of domains is to define an incision part, such as a slit, in an electric field generating electrode. In this method, liquid crystals are rearranged by a fringe field generated between an edge of the incision part and the electric field generating electrode which faces the incision part, thereby defining a plurality of domains.
In VA mode LCDs, securing a wide viewing angle is an important challenge. To this end, an incision part such as a micro-slit may be defined in an electric field generating electrode, or a protrusion may be provided on the electric field generating electrode. The incision part and the protrusion determine a tilt direction of liquid crystal molecules. Therefore, the tilt direction of the liquid crystal molecules may be diversified to various directions by appropriately placing the incision part and the protrusion, thereby widening the viewing angle of a VA mode LCD.
In addition, VA mode LCDs may have poor lateral visibility compared with front visibility. To solve this problem, one pixel electrode may be split into two subpixel electrodes, and high and low voltages may be applied to the two subpixel electrodes, respectively. Accordingly, liquid crystal molecules of the two subpixel electrodes may be aligned in different directions, thereby improving visibility in left and right viewing angle directions.